Nvidia's memory costs soar 485%, latest AI systems now cost $7.8 million to build — memory now comprises 25% of the total cost, Rubin GPUs a mere $50,000 apiece

https://www.tomshardware.com/author/anton-shilov· May 21, 2026 · 3:41 PM UTC ·9 min read · 0 reactions · 0 comments · 41 views

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TL;DR · WeSearch summary

Nvidia's latest AI systems, the VR200 NVL72 racks, have seen a significant increase in costs, now totaling approximately $7.8 million per unit. Memory alone accounts for about $2 million of this cost, representing a 485% increase compared to previous models. The rising demand for advanced memory components is driving these price hikes, impacting hyperscale cloud service providers significantly.

Key facts

▪The VR200 NVL72 racks cost around $7.8 million each, up from $4 million for previous models.
▪Memory now comprises 25% of the total cost of the VR200 NVL72 systems.
▪The cost of memory in these systems has increased by 485%, reaching about $2 million per rack.

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▪ Nvidia's memory costs soar 485%, latest AI systems now cost $7.8 million to build — memory now comprises 25% of the total cost, Rubin GPUs a mere $50,000 apiece — Reddit

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Tech Industry Artificial Intelligence Nvidia's memory costs soar 485%, latest AI systems now cost $7.8 million to build — memory now comprises 25% of the total cost, Rubin GPUs a mere $50,000 apiece News By Anton Shilov published 21 May 2026 $2 million for memory alone. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Nvidia) Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter As prices of components are increasing rapidly due to high demand from the AI sector, the cost of these machines is also increasing significantly.

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